Robert Kerbeck’s true crime memoir, RUSE: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street is the story of how a wannabe actor became the world’s greatest corporate spy. Frank Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can, said, “Kerbeck has mastered the art of social engineering, or what he calls ‘rusing’, and taken it to a whole new level,” while Shondaland (the producer of the Netflix series, Inventing Anna) described RUSE as “a story almost too good to be true with no shortage of wild stories.” Kerbeck’s previous book MALIBU BURNING: The Real Story Behind LA’s Most Devastating Wildfire, won a 2021 SoCal Journalism Award, the IPPY Award, and the Best of LA Award. His writing has appeared in numerous publications including the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Magazine, and Lithub’s Crime Reads.The Title of Your Book
I was told that no one had ever written about being a corporate spy before so I thought I might as well be the first. Plus, it’s a heck of a crazy story and it’s all true.
What was your biggest surprise or aha moment when writing your book?
After publishing RUSE and outing myself as a corporate spy, I was shocked that numerous major corporations contacted me to spy for them.
Who is your ideal audience for the book?
I wrote RUSE during COVID so I wanted the book to be a fun, page turner. It reads like a spy novel but everything in it is true. I’ve written an honest book about lying! And RUSE is really two books, one about corporate spying, the other an unvarnished insider’s look at celebs & Hollywood. I think the book appeals to all but particularly men that might not read as much as they’d like 🙂
Tell us, how do you deal with fear?
I put my head down and keep on going.
Tell us, how do you deal with rejection?
Not well. Next question.
Tell us two concepts or ideas you want the reader to takeaway?
That it’s never too late to change and to pivot into the career you’ve always dreamed of having
Name one of the biggest challenges you have faced writing your book and how did you overcome it?
Coming clean about lying for a living
What’s a personal self-talk, mantra, affirmation, or self-belief that contributes to your success?
Take the journey you want to take
